Apparatus for removing couplings from tubular goods

ABSTRACT

A tool for removing couplings from tubular goods, especially for removing or installing a coupling onto a sucker rod. The tool can be manually or motor powered in operation, and includes a barrel within which there is threadedly received a mandrel, with the mandrel having a shaft attached thereto and depending from within the barrel so as to impart rotational movement into the mandrel. Diametrically opposed to the shaft is a threaded pin portion of the mandrel which is adapted to engage the threaded box portion of the coupling of the sucker rod, so as to enable one threaded surface of the mandrel to threadedly engage a coupling while the remaining threaded surface of the mandrel threadedly engages the barrel, with a part of the coupling and the barrel being brought into abutting relationship with respect to each other in a manner to develope tremendous torsional forces.

UHIitQ States atni n 1 Whiteside et a1.

[ 51 Jan. 9, 1973 [54] APPARATUS FOR REMOVING COUPLINGS FROM TUBULARGOODS [76] Inventors: Grady 0.- Whiteslde, 2908 Dawn; Thomas Y. DePriest, 3736 Oakridge, both of Odessa, Tex. 79760 221' Filed: April 12,1911' 21 App]. No.: 133,000

52 u.s.c| .29/23? 511 int. Cl. ..B23p 19/04 58 Field of Search..29/237,240, 227,456

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,120,700 2/1964 Chuplis..29/240 X 3,154,842 11/1964 Reel ..29/240 Primary ExaminerRobert C.Riordon Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters Attorney-Marcus L. Bates [57]ABSTRACT A tool for removing couplings from tubular goods, especiallyfor removing or installing a coupling onto a sucker rod.

The tool can be manually or motor powered in operation, and includes abarrel within which there is threadedly received a mandrel, with themandrel having a shaft attached thereto and depending from within thebarrel so as to impart rotational movement into the mandrel.Diametrically opposed to the shaft is a threaded pin portion of themandrel which is adapted to engage the threaded box portion of thecoupling of the sucker rod, so as to enable one threaded surface of themandrel to threadedly engage a coupling while the remaining threadedsurface of the mandrel threadedly engages the barrel, with a part of thecoupling and the barrel being brought into abutting relationship withrespect to each other in a manner to develope tremendous torsionalforces.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 9 I973 GRADY O.WHITESIDE INVENTOES AND THOMAS f- DE PRIE5T BY MAIZCUS LBA'TES THE/R AGENT TUBULARGOODS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Throughout industry there are numeroustubular goods, including solid elongated rods, pipe, and piping, as wellas studs and other male and female threaded apparatus which from time totime must be removed and subsequently replaced by a new or a differentbut similar threaded component. This is particularly true in the oilproduction field, as for example, the occasional replacement of acoupling onto a sucker rod.

Sucker rod is a term applied to the elongated jointed metal rod whichextends down hole into a borehole and into proximity of a downholeproduction pump so as to enable the downhole pump to be actuated fromthe surface of the earth byimparting reciprocal motion into the rod.Since the rod is usually several 7 thousand feet in length, it isconvenient to break the rod up into 25 foot joints, and to connect thejoints of the rod together in series relationship by a special connectorcalled a coupling. l

The rod and the coupling are expensive, and the longer the sucker rodstring the more durable and exotic must be the fabrication of thecoupling. Accordingly, couplings vary in'price in proportion to thedifficulty of design, and therefore one would not ordinarily use anexpensive coupling where an inexpensive one would perform equally aswell.

Sucker rod is shipped from the fabricator with a selected couplingattached thereto, and with the rod being racked in side-by-siderelationship and separated from one another by bolted wooden spacers soas to provide a convenient package in the form of a pallet whichenhances handling thereof. Upon arriving at its destination, thecoupling often is of an unwanted or undesired design, and accordingly,workmen must employ hand tools in order to substitute one type couplingfor the manufacturers coupling. This substitution of couplings entailsdisassembly. of the bundled rod so as to enable access thereto. Thisexpedient is time consuming, laborious, expensive, and presents adistasteful job to the workmen. Moreover, where unskilled workmenperform the task, damage to the rod and coupling often occurs. I

Accordingly, it is desireable to be able to substitute onecoupling on asucker rod for another in an improved manner.

SUMMARY OF THE 'INvENTIoN' This invention comprehends a tool forremoving couplings from tubular goods comprising a barrel whichthreadedly receives a mandrel therein, with a drive shaft depending fromthe barrel and attached to the mandrel. A free marginal portion'of themandrel inv A second embodiment of the invention includes a doubleclutch comprised of spaced apart shaft engaging means which permits theshaft to be actuated by a power tool in a rapid and efficient manner.When the shaft is moved toward the mandrel, the forward clutch isengaged to thereby drive the mandrel by the shaft,

and when the shaft is partially withdrawn from the barrel, the secondclutch is engaged so as to actuate the barrel rather than the mandrel.At the same time, the direction of rotation of the power tool can becontrolled so as to manipulate the coupling in any desired manner.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a tool formaking-up and breaking-out couplings associated with tubular goods.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved toolwhich facilitates the removal and replacement of couplings on sucker rodand the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus forassembling and disassembling couplings from tubular goods and the likein a more rapid and efficient manner. 7

A still further object of this invention is to' provide improvedapparatus for assembling and disassembling coupling members.

The above objects are attainedin accordance with Y BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFTHE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, set forth an end and top viewrespectively, of the prior art method of shipping some tubular goods; 7

FIG.'3 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the presentinvention, with some'parts thereof being removed therefrom, and theremaining parts being shown in section;

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention, and sets forth a sideelevational broken view, with some parts thereof being removed therefromand the remaining parts being shown in section;

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, respectively, are cross-sectional 'views taken alonglines 5 5, 6 -6, and 77, respec-, tively, of FIG. 3. I

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Throughout the variousfigures of the drawings, wherever possible, like or similar numeralsrefer to like or similar parts.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pallet or bundle 10 is made up of adjacentbolted together pieces of wood 1 1 so as to form a convenient package ofsucker rod 12; Each individual rod has a coupling threadedlyattached toone marginal depending end thereof, as illustrated by numerals Band 14.It willabe noted that each ad jacent rod is staggered with respect toone another so as to permit the rods to be placed closely adjacent toone another thereby conserving space.

Looking now to the details of FIG. 3, in conjunction with FIGS. 5-7,there is seen a tool, generally illustrated by the arrow at numeral 15,made in accordance with the present invention. The tool includes a shaft16 depending in an outward or a rearward direction, and a mandrel 17depending in an outward or a forward direction therefrom. A main body18," hereinafter called a barrel, is'preferably made in the form of anelongated cylinder, with one marginal end portion thereof being milledat 19 into a hexagon shape so as to enable several different typewrenches to be conveniently received thereon.

A free depending marginal terminal end portion of the shaft is likewiseprovided with a hexagon shape in the illustrated manner indicated bynumeral 20. The opposite marginal end portion of the shaft 21 isprovided with a clutch pin 22 arranged laterally with respect to thetool and outwardly depending from the outer peripheral surface of theshaft. An intermediate marginal portion of the shaft cooperates withreduced diameter counterbore 23, 'with the tolerance therebetween beingsignificantly controlled so as to form a suitable journal. End portion23 of the barrel is in the form ofa shoulder or a transverse face havinga considerable surface area so as to effect a bearing surface, as willbe better appreciated later on in the disclosure.

The mandrel includes a threaded end portionand a driven end portion. Thethreaded end of the mandrel includes a first thread 25 which threadedlyengages a marginal .inside peripheral surface of the barrel. Theillustrated shoulder at 26 defines the length of the first thread, andin some instances, may merely be a groove, which also forms a secondshoulder 26' from which the second threaded surface 27 of the mandrelcommences. Threads 27 cooperate with and are complimentary to theindicated inside threaded portion 28' of a coupling 31. The end 28 ofthe coupling is adapted to abut shoulder 23' of the barrel when the toolhas been properly engaged with the coupling.

An intermediate portion 29 of the mandrel is preferably enlarged at oneextremity thereof so as to form a circumferentially extending skirtmember having a concavity 30. The skirt is provided with diametricallyopposed inwardly directed slots31 which form a v clutch portionassociated with the mandrel, and which is adapted to receive clutch pin22 therein when the shaft, 16 is moved towards and into engagement withthe mandrel. i

Similarly there is formed within the end wall of the barrel and adjacentto the reduced diameter portion 23 a pair of diametrically opposedrearwardly extending slots 31' which depend toward shaft end 20, andthen turn in a circumferential direction so as to capture clutch pin 22therein when the pin is moved into engagement therewith.

Looking now to the details of FIG. 4, the barrel 118 is seen to enclosea marginal portion of a shaft 1 16. The

shaft is an integral part of the mandrel. The firstthreaded portion ofthe mandrel 125 is larger than the second threaded portion so as toprovide a shoulder at 126 for a purpose which will be better appreciatedlater on after the remainder of this disclosure is fully digested.

In operation, the tool disclosed in FIG. 3 is placed in its illustratedoperative configuration with the barrel being held by the left hand anda power wrench being driven by the power tool in a clockwise direction.This action causes the second threaded surface to make up with thecoupling, and at the same time the first threaded connection is beingmade up with threads 34. Since threads 25 are left handed threads andthe threads at 27 are right handed threads, it will be appreciated thatthe mandrel is being retracted within the barrel, while at the same timethe second threaded connection is being made up with the coupling.Accordingly, shoulder 28 of the coupling is rapidly brought intoabutment with face 23' of the barrel, so that the two opposed parallelshoulders are brought together in compressed relationship while themandrel is placed in tension between the first and second threadedsurfaces.

The above relationship preferably is established between the tool andthe coupling prior to installing or removing a coupling from a rod.Assuming the coupling is to be removed, the motor is de-energized andpulled in a rearward direction, thereby releasing the clutch pin 22 fromthe forward clutch and engaging the clutch pin with the rear clutchpart. The direction of rotation of the motor is reversed,thereby drivingthe barrel rather than the mandrel in a counterclockwise rotationaldirection. Since the mandrel has been placed under a considerabletension due to the coacting opposite threaded surfaces thereof, andsince the shoulder of the coupling now engages the face of the barrelwith a treemendous force, it will be appreciated by those skilled in theart that upon sufficient force being applied to the .barrel, that thecoupling will preferentially be released from the sucker rod prior tosufficient force being developed to break the cumulative force offriction developed between the threaded surfaces of the mandrel and themandrel face. After the coupling has been removed from the rod, theshaft is moved back into the position of FIG. 3, the wrench end of thebarrel placed in any suitable holding means, and the motor againreversed so that it rotates in a counterclockwise direction, therebybreakingthe surfaces 23', 28 apart. Where deemed desirable, the couplingcan be held by the left hand and the motor again energized so as torapidly disengage threaded connection 27 from the coupling. I 7

With a trifle of experience, the above can be carried out in a fractionof the time that would ordinarily be required to obtain the same resultswhile using hand tools. Furthermore, the barrelcan be made any desiredlength so as to enable it to be placed into close proximity of anycoupling 13 of the bundled rods. Accordingly, it is unnecessary toremove the rods from the bundle in order to exchange one coupling foranother.

When itis desired to place a coupling onto a rod, the coupling isengaged with the second threaded surface a sufficient number of turns toassure that the threadsare rods. Regardless of the procedure employed,the apparatus is returned to the configuration seen in FIG. 3, the shaftrotated in a clockwise direction, whereupon the mandrel moves into thebarrel while threads 27 are made-up with the threaded coupling and atthe same time the opposite threaded portion of the coupling is made-uponto the sucker rod. Faces 23', 28 rapidly come into abutment with oneanother, and as the driven end of the shaft continues to rotate, thecoupling will be properly torqued onto the sucker rod.

Removal of the tool from the coupling is accomplished by engaging therear clutch, driving the barrel in a clockwise direction so as to breakthe force at the shoulders, after which the forward clutch is engagedand the mandrel driven in a counterclockwise direction so as todisengage the second threaded surface from the coupling.

The operation of the tool disclosed in FIG. 4 is similar to theoperation of the embodiment of FIG. 3,-

except of course, there is no clutchavailable'which may be actuated byreciprocal motion of the shaft.

In using the tool illustrated in FIG. 4, and in order to expediteinstallation of the coupling, threaded surface 125 is generouslyenlarged relative to the second threaded surface so astoprovideashoulder at 126'. Since the tool of FIG. 4 generally will bemanually operated, this. expedient facilitates installation of thecouplings onto the rod for the reason that it is unnecessary to awaitthe shoulder 28 of the coupling to abut the shoulder of the barrel.

I claim: I 1. Apparatus for removing couplings from tubular goods,comprising: 1

a barrel, a mandrel and a drive shaft; said barrel having means formingan elongatedaxi ally disposed passageway therethrough; said barrelfurther including means forming a journaled end and a threaded end, saidthreaded end including a threaded inside marginal peripheral surface ofsaid passageway; said threaded end of said barrel terminating as ashoulder; said journaled end adapted to rotatably receive a marginalportion'jof said drive'shaft therein; said'mandrel having a threaded endand a driven end; means by which said driven end of said mandrel isattached to said drive shaft; means forming a first and second threadedsurface on said threaded end'of said mandrel; said first threaded andsaid'second threaded surfaces being spaced apart from-one another and ofopposite threaded direction; said first threaded surface adapted tothreadedly engage the threads formed in the passageway of said barrel;said second threaded surface adapted to threadedly engage a couplingwhereby; said shaft can be rotated to thereby impart rotational motioninto the mandrel which causes the second threaded surface to engage thebox of a coupling, and causes the first threaded surface to move intothe barrel, thereby causing said shoulder to abut an end portion of thecoupling to thereby tightly engage the tool with the coupling. 2. Thetool of claim 1 and further including means forming a clutch part onsaid mandrel;

means forming a clutch part adjacent the journaled end of said barrel;means associated with said shaft for selectively engaging the first andsecond clutch parts; whereby:

said shaft, when moved into a first position, engages the first clutchpart; and, said shaft, when moved into a second position, engages thesecond clutch part to thereby selectively impart rotational motion intoeither the mandrel or the barrel.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein said clutch part on said mandrel includesdiametrically opposed slots;

and said clutch engaging means on said shaft includes a laterallydisposed clutch pin affixed thereto; whereby:

when said shaft is moved into the first position the clutch pin engagesthe slots on said mandrel, and when said shaft is reciprocated into thesecond position said clutch pin engages the second said slot.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the threaded barrel includes a lefthanded thread; and, said first thread is a left handed thread whichthreadedly engages the thread on said barrel; and

the second said thread is a right hand thread-which is adapted tothreadedly engage the coupling member.

5. The tool of claim 1 wherein said drive shaft is anintegral part ofsaid mandrel, and further including said second threads being smallerin-dia meter than said first threads to thereby provide a shouldertherebe'tween;

said shoulder adapted to 'abut the shoulder of the coupling when thesecond thread is fullyimade up therewith. I

I. I a 4: =0:

1. Apparatus for removing couplings from tubular goods, comprising: abarrel, a mandrel and a drive shaft; said barrel having means forming anelongated axially disposed passageway therethrough; said barrel furtherincluding means forming a journaled end and a threaded end, saidthreaded end including a threaded inside marginal peripheral surface ofsaid passageway; said threaded end of said barrel terminating as ashoulder; said journaled end adapted to rotatably receive a marginalportion of said drive shaft therein; said mandrel having a threaded endand a driven end; means by which said driven end of said mandrel isattached to said drive shaft; means forming a first and second threadedsurface on said threaded end of said mandrel; said first threaded andsaid second threaded surfaces being spaced apart from one another and ofopposite threaded direction; said first threaded surface adapted tothreadedly engage the threads formed in the passageway of said barrel;said second threaded surface adapted to threadedly engage a couplingwhereby: said shaft can be rotated to thereby impart rotational motioninto the mandrel which causes the second threaded surface to engage thebox of a coupling, and causes the first threaded surface to move intothe barrel, thereby causing said shoulder to abut an end portion of thecoupling to thereby tightly engage the tool with the coupling.
 2. Thetool of claim 1 and further including means forming a clutch part onsaid mandrel; means forming a clutch part adjacent the journaled end ofsaid barrel; means associated with said shaft for selectively engagingthe first and second clutch parts; whereby: said shaft, when moved intoa first position, engages the first clutch part; and, said shaft, whenmoved into a second position, engages the second clutch part to therebyselectively impart rotational motion into either the mandrel or thebarrel.
 3. The tool of claim 2 wherein said clutch part on said mandrelincludes diametrically opposed slots; and said clutch engaging means onsaid shaft includes a laterally disposed clutch pin affixed thereto;whereby: when said shaft is moved into the first position the clutch pinengages the slots on said mandrel, and when said shaft is reciprocatedinto the second position said clutch pin engages the second said slot.4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the threaded barrel includes a lefthanded thread; and, said first thread is a left handed thread whichthreadedly engages the thread on said barrel; and the second said threadis a right hand thread which is adapted to threadedly engage thecoupling member.
 5. The tool of claim 1 wherein said drive shaft is anintegral part of said mandrel, and further including said second threadsbeing smaller in diameter than said first threads to thereby provide ashoulder therebetween; said shoulder adapted to abut the shoulder of thecoupling when the second thread is fully made up therewith.